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1ST DUKE OF RALPH MONTAGU (c. 1638-1709)

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Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 748 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DUKE OF See also:RALPH See also:MONTAGU (c. 1638-1709)  , See also:English diplomatist, was the second son of See also:Edward, 2nd See also:Baron See also:Montagu of See also:Boughton (1616-1684), whose See also:peerage was one of several granted in the 17th See also:century to different members of the Montagu See also:family (q.v.) . See also:Sir Edward Montagu, See also:chief See also:justice of the See also:king's See also:bench in the See also:time of See also:Henry VIII., was grandfather of the first See also:earl of See also:Manchester (see MANCHESTER, EARLS AND See also:DUKES ' OF), and of Edward, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton (1562-1644), who was imprisoned in the See also:Tower by the See also:parliament on See also:account of his See also:loyalty to See also:Charles I . The eldest son of the latter, Edward, who succeeded him as 2nd baron, took the See also:side of the parliament in the See also:Civil See also:War, and was one of the lords who conducted the king from See also:Newark to Holmby See also:House after his surrender by the Scots in See also:January 1647 . He had two sons, of whom See also:Ralph was the younger . The eldest son, Edward, was See also:master of the See also:horse to See also:Queen See also:Catherine, wife of Charles II., a See also:post from which he is said to have been dismissed by the king for showing See also:attention to the queen of too ardent a nature . Catherine immediately appointed the younger See also:brother, Ralph, to the vacant situation, and the latter soon acquired a reputation for gallantry at the See also:court of Charles II . He took an active See also:part in the negotiations in which See also:Louis XIV. See also:purchased the See also:neutrality of See also:England in the war between See also:France and See also:Holland . Having quarrelled with See also:Danby and the duchess of See also:Cleveland, who denounced him to the king, Montagu was elected member of parliament for See also:Northampton in 1678, with the intention of bringing about the fall of Danby; but, having produced letters seriously .compromising the See also:minister, the See also:dissolution of parliament placed him in such danger of See also:arrest that he attempted to See also:fly to France . Foiled in this See also:design, he continued to intrigue against the See also:government, supporting the See also:movement for excluding the See also:duke of See also:York from the See also:succession and for recognizing See also:Monmouth as See also:heir to the See also:crown . His See also:elder brother having predeceased his See also:father, Ralph became Baron Montagu of Boughton on the See also:death of the latter in 1684 . Notwithstanding his former intrigues he gained the favour of See also:James II. on his See also:accession to the See also:throne; but this did not deter him from welcoming See also:William of See also:Orange, who created him See also:Viscount Monthermer and earl of Montagu in 1689 . Montagu was no less avaricious than unscrupulous .

In 1673 he had married the wealthy widow of the earl of See also:

Northumberland, See also:Elizabeth Wriothesley, daughter of the earl of See also:Southampton, who brought him a large See also:fortune; and after her death in 1690 he married the still more wealthy Elizabeth See also:Cavendish, daughter of the duke of See also:Newcastle, and widow of See also:Christopher See also:Monk, 2nd duke of See also:Albemarle . Montagu's position was further strengthened in 1705 by the See also:marriage of his son and heir to See also:Mary, daughter of the See also:great duke of See also:Marlborough . In the same See also:year he was raised to the dukedom as duke of Montagu and See also:marquess of Monthermer . He died on the 9th of See also:March 1709 . His See also:London See also:residence, Montagu House, Bloomsbury, was bought by the government in 1753 to hold the See also:national collection of antiquities, and on its site was built the See also:British Museum . The duke was succeeded by his son See also:John, 2nd duke of Montagu (1689-1749), who in 1745 raised a See also:cavalry See also:regiment known as Montagu's Carabineers, which, however, was disbanded after See also:Culloden . He was made a K.G. in 1719, and was a See also:fellow of the Royal Society . As neither of his two sons survived him the See also:title became See also:extinct at his death in 1749, but in 1730 his daughter Mary married See also:George Brudenell, 4th earl of See also:Cardigan (1712-1790), who on his father-in-See also:law's death assumed the name and arms of Montagu, and in 1766 was created duke of Montagu . On his death, in 1790, this second dukedom of Montagu also became extinct; his only son, who was created Baron Montagu of Boughton, having predeceased him . His daughter Elizabeth married Henry, 2nd duke of See also:Buccleuch, who thus acquired all the unentailed See also:property of the dukes of Montagu, the entailed portion passing to the earls of Cardigan . See See also:Abel See also:Boyer, See also:History of the Reign of Queen See also:Anne, vol. viii . (i [ vols., London, 1703-1713) ; Sir J .

B . See also:

Burke, Genealogical History of Dormant (&c.) Peerages (London, 1883) .

End of Article: 1ST DUKE OF RALPH MONTAGU (c. 1638-1709)
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